This epic Portobello Mushroom Burger is easy, balsamic marinated and stacked high with arugula, sliced tomato, slices of red onion, dairy-free cheese and pickle, then placed in a toasted brioche bun and smothered in Smoky Homemade Chipotle Sauce. Made with grilled Portobello mushrooms, cook on the grill, stove top or in the oven. These grilled Portobello mushroom burgers, hungry friends, will definitely rock your world!
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The key to making a great tasting plant-based Portobello mushroom burger is marinating the mushrooms in an absolutely delicious balsamic vinegar marinade before grilling them. In fact, the marinade ingredients for this Portobello burger recipe may already be hiding in your pantry! This recipe is perfect for backyard barbecues and summer parties.
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🍄 Ingredients For Portobello Mushroom Burger
Arugula - adds a spicy, peppery tart flavor to the burger that pairs well with the chipotle sauce and trimmings. Substitute for any greens, such as romaine lettuce, sprouts, or mixed greens.
Olive oil - used in the balsamic marinade to ensure the mushrooms stay moist and tender during the grilling process. Substitute for any other neutral oil.
Trimmings - I stuck with the basics here: greens, red onion, tomato and dill pickle. However, feel free to use other trimmings such as avocado, caramelized onions, or whatever you have on hand. If you're feeling a little adventurous, top my Portobello burgers with a few slices of of my crispy Banana Peel Bacon.
Balsamic vinegar - used in the marinade to bring a tangy, savory flavor to the Portobello mushrooms.
Spices and herbs - used in the marinade to enhance flavor. This recipe requires dried oregano, dried basil and smoked paprika, however, other spices and herbs also work such as cumin, coriander, mustard and/or fresh herbs.
Buns - I used a simple brioche bun for my Portobello burgers, but any burger buns will work. You may also want to toast the buns on the grill once the mushrooms are done and prior to loading them with the burger ingredients.
Portobello mushrooms - there is really no substitute for grilled Portobello mushroom, which is the star of the show in this veggie burger recipe.
Vegan cheese - omit if you'd like to reduce calories or fat content in this Portobello mushroom burger.
🍔 How to Make a Portobello Mushroom Burger
Start by pre-heating your indoor grill (on sale right now on Amazon) or lighting your outdoor grill (I prefer mesquite wood chips instead of charcoal when grilling outdoors). Plan to cook the Portobello mushrooms over medium heat, depending upon your grill.
1. Prepare the marinade by whisking balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and herbs/spices together in a bowl.
2. Place mushrooms, cap sides down, in an oblong dish. Pour marinade over mushrooms.
3. Using a basting brush, coat each side with marinade.
4. Cover and allow to sit for 20 minutes, re-basting each side at least once during the process.
5. Once mushrooms have finished marinating, place on pre-heated grill, cap side down. Grill for approximately 10 minutes.
6. Turn mushrooms once you see distinguished grill marks on mushroom caps. Grill for another 10 minutes. If you choose to add vegan cheese while mushrooms are still on the grill, do so during the last minute of cooking.
7. Remove grilled Portobello mushrooms from grill. If you have not yet added vegan cheese, add to burgers now, then top with arugula, tomato, red onion and pickle. Finish with a drizzle of my Homemade Smoky Chipotle Sauce.
8. Serve Portobello mushroom burgers immediately and enjoy. Need a great side to go with your Portobello mushroom burger recipe? Try my better than French fries Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes with garlic aioli.
🔪 How to Clean and Cook Portobello Mushrooms
- Remove Portobello mushrooms from their packaging. Gently brush the dirt from the caps with a damp paper towel. This should be enough to clean the mushroom caps without placing them under running water that may cause a loss of flavor.
- Turn the caps over to reveal the gills. Remove the stem. Although it's not necessary to remove the gills, you may do so by gently scraping the underbelly of the mushroom with a large spoon. Again, remove any leftover debris with a damp paper towel. Although the gills are edible, they sometimes contain hidden dirt and when cooked, can turn everything in your dish a drab, dark brown.
- Pour the marinade into a large rectangular casserole dish and marinate the mushrooms for about 20 minutes.
- Once the mushrooms are done marinating you may toss them onto a preheated grill, cap side down, as instructed in the directions above. Grill 10 minutes per side.
- Remove veggie burgers from the grill, place on toasted brioche buns, and stack your burgers high to the sky with your favorite toppings.
💭 FAQS
I prefer cooking Portobello mushrooms on the grill using mesquite wood chips. To me, the flavor of the grill combined with the mesquite wood chips is unparalleled. However, you can also marinate them, then sauté them on your stove top as well as roast them in the oven on a lined baking sheet.
The gills of a Portobello mushroom are edible and entirely safe to eat. However, in certain recipes, such as stuffed mushrooms, they should be removed to make room for the stuffing. If you choose to remove them prior to making these burgers, that's perfectly fine. Do so by scraping the gill side of the mushroom with a spoon and then gently wiping away any residue with a damp paper towel.
Portobello mushrooms should be placed on the grill cap side down. Grill for 10 minutes, then turn.
Portobello mushrooms are extremely healthy. Not only are they low in calories (only 35 calories per 100 gram serving), but they are loaded with B vitamins and trace minerals such as selenium and copper. They're also high in potassium and phosphorus. To make them healthier with less fat, omit the vegan cheese and choose a 100% whole wheat bun.
As far as vegan dinners are concerned, many people enjoy the flavor and meaty texture of Portobello mushrooms, which is why they make a fantastic choice for vegan burgers. Coupled with the trimmings and some excellent sauce, I promise, you won't miss the meat!
Depending upon the heat of your grill, 10 minutes per side for a total of 20 minutes is usually sufficient. As the mushrooms cook, they will change in appearance and texture. They are ready when you see some awesome grill marks on each side of the mushroom cap.
👩🏻🍳 EXPERT TIPS
- For best results, select the freshest, best looking Portobello mushrooms available. Be sure they don't look slimy and have firm caps and gills. Remove stems prior to cooking. Removing the gills is optional.
- Limit the balsamic marinade time to 20 minutes max. Anything more may make them soggy.
- To prevent sticking to the grill, oil the grates generously with cooking spray prior to grilling.
Make it an epic barbecue by pairing this veggie burger with my delicious Vegan Potato Salad, Vegan Street Corn, Mango Corn Salsa, Grilled Carrot Dogs, Vegan Fruit Salad and my garlic thyme Purple Cabbage Slaw. And don't forget my with my delicious Red White and Blue Cocktail, and easy Watermelon Aqua Fresca to wash it all down!
🌶 VARIATIONS
- Southwest - top with my Cilantro Lime Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce, my healthy Mango Corn Salsa, or one of these 30 Homemade Salsa Recipes for a delicious Southwest version of this Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger.
- Greek - for a Greek version of this recipe, use focaccia bread instead of buns. Top with vegan feta cheese, pickled onions and Tzatziki sauce.
- Spicy Miso PMB - top with Asian-style guacamole, cool cucumber ribbons and crunchy carrot slaw. Finish with a drizzle of Sriracha.
- Italian - top with my easy 5-minute Vegan Walnut Pesto and my Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe to put an Italian spin on these grilled Portobello mushroom burgers.
- Stove-top or oven - above all, if you don't want to grill these vegan burgers, you can cook on the stove-top or in your oven like this vegan black bean burger.
- Bacon Portobello Cheeseburger - make it a bacon cheeseburger by adding your favorite vegan cheese and topping it with crispy slices of my Banana Peel Bacon.
- Hollandaise Portobello Burger - instead of chipotle sauce, drizzle this fabulous Vegan Hollandaise Sauce over your burger for an extra special treat.
🌡️ STORAGE
Store left-over grilled Portobello mushroom (not that there will be any) in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. Additionally, store left-over toppings in your refrigerator separately in zip lock bags or airtight containers.
My grilled Portobello mushroom burger recipe contains Portobello mushrooms that despise the freezer! It's best to eat these vegan burgers immediately after grilling.
🌭 What Goes With Portobello Mushroom Burgers?
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
📖 Recipe
Epic Portobello Mushroom Burger Recipe | Grill, Stovetop or Oven
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
For the Mushroom Burgers
- 4 hamburger buns
- 4 Portobello mushroom caps large
- 1 cup arugula
- ½ red onion sliced
- 4 slices vegan cheese I used almond mozzarella
- 1 fresh tomato
- 8 dill pickles sliced
For the Chipotle Sauce
- ¾ cup raw cashews soaked in boiled water for 1 hour
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce plus
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 large clove garlic
Instructions
For the Chipotle Sauce
- Add cashews, water, lime juice, sea salt, garlic, chili and adobo sauce to food processor. Pulse until smooth consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
For the Marinade
- In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and spices.
- Place mushroom caps smooth side down in large-rimmed platter or baking sheet. Pour marinade over mushrooms.
- Using a basting brush, brush both sides of mushrooms with marinade making sure they are evenly coated. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes, re-basting both sides once during the process.
For the Mushroom Burgers
- Preheat grill. Once mushroom caps have finished marinating, place mushrooms, cap side down, directly on grill. Cook for approximately 10 minutes on each side. If you choose to melt the cheese on the burger, add during the last minute of grilling.
- Remove, place on buns and top with vegan cheese, chipotle sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is an estimate.
- For best results, select the freshest, best looking Portobello mushrooms available. Be sure they don't appear slimy and that they have firm caps and gills. Remove stems prior to cooking. Removing gills is optional.
- Limit the balsamic marinade time to 20 minutes max. Anything more may make them soggy.
- To prevent sticking to the grill, oil the grates generously prior to grilling.
Aimee Mars
I feel like this is one of those recipes I could sneak by my family and they'll love it (as long as I don't tell them it's a mushroom burger, despite the fact that everyone loves mushrooms). These look incredible and I can't wait to try them out.
Deborah
Please let us know how you liked them, thanks Aimee.
Beth
This is one of the best mushroom burger recipes I've seen in a long time! I LOVE the way you let the mushroom be the star of the show.
Deborah
Thank you Beth.
Claudia Lamascolo
Very flavorful mushrooms and easy to make we just loved this will make it again for sure!
Deborah
So happy you enjoyed it and that you'll make it again, Claudia, thank you.
Sara
We made a Greek version of this like you suggested and it was so flavorful. Will definitely be making again!
Deborah
Thank you Sara, I thought the Greek version looked amazing. I'm going to have to try it now.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Grilled mushrooms make perfect burgers and I love all of the rich flavours that compliment them. So filling and delicious.
Deborah
Thanks so much Amanda, hope you make it again soon!